It's all well and good to live by faith injunctions like "it is more blessed to give than to receive" and "ask and it shall be given you." But when the "asking" comes from behind a pointed weapon, and what is "given" is the weekly collection from Holy Family Church in Fairmount, the "blessedness" quotient is considerably diminished.

The teen volunteer carrying the wicker basket with donations after Mass Sunday had his faith tested when he opened the door to the parish center and confronted a masked man wielding a pistol-like object that turned out to be a pellet gun. The young man wisely did not resist. How the robber got inside to lie in wait for the youth was not immediately known. Keypad access codes are notoriously common knowledge within church communities, and thus fairly easy to come by.

But who would steal from a church? A hardened criminal, unconcerned about the ultimate disposition of his soul? A person so desperate he would stoop this low for ill-gotten gains?

Apparently it's the first time in at least a dozen years this has happened in the diocese, and local church leaders should review their procedures for securing the precious contributions to their religious communities. So far, this appears to be a shocking but isolated occurrence rather than a sign of troubled times. Still, it's a vivid reminder of the need to be prudent.

Empire Zone blues

The Legislative session is in summer recess, and the scandalous state Empire Zone program remains as scandalous as ever.

For years, investigations by this newspaper and others have made it abundantly clear that this tax-break giveaway program is not working as it should -- failing to create and preserve jobs.

As it grew from a $30 million pilot project in 2001 into a $600 million boondoggle, nearly 9,000 business got in on the act, enjoying tax breaks regardless of their job-creation record. Under increasing pressure, the state made half-hearted attempts to crack down. In January, it alerted more than 170 businesses that they were at risk of losing their benefits.

So far, the state has denied benefits to just seven of the worst offenders and 26 others. At least a dozen of the companies are appealing their decertification. Meanwhile, the Legislature failed to enact any stricter reforms this session.

It's easy enough to create a program and watch it grow. But the state's inability to deal with EZ failures suggests the powers-that-be in Albany aren't that upset about the status quo. They should be.

Clear enough for you?

"The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops ... that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States."

Prospective Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, writing in Monday's editions of The New York Times.